Classical Precision

Francis Guerrero still remembers the day her kindergarten class at Paredes Elementary got to the letter V.

"‘V' was the letter of the week in show-and-tell, and Jimena was able to bring her violin," Guerrero recalled. "The children were just in awe of this little person playing such a complicated, classical instrument.

"She took it out of its case with such precision, and then she played a beautiful little song. It was a wonderful treat for all of us."

Jimena Escobedo has the benefit of coming from a musical family. Her mother Rocio Molina de Escobedo is classical pianist, adjunct professor of music and interim director of the Music Academy at the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

Her father Jose Luis Escobedo is a guitarist and also an adjunct professor of music at UTB-TSC.

Both teach at the Music Academy, which offers private lessons, group music instruction and performance ensembles for students from age 2 to adults. Rocio teaches piano, Jose Luis guitar.

The two met as students at the Escuela Superior de Musica de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico. They have been at UTB-TSC a little more than four years.

Jimena herself asked to study the violin after watching videos of famous musical performances her father played for her and her brother, Jose Luis Jr., 10.

When she was about to turn 5, Jimena told her parents she wanted to take violin lessons from Martha Placeres, a teacher at the Music Academy. That was about two years ago, her parents said.

"I'm a piano teacher, and so I thought that she would take piano lessons," her mother said, adding that Jose Luis Jr. is a piano student and expressing a little amazement at her daughter's insistence on the violin.

The Music Academy where Jimena takes lessons is a "very good opportunity for students to grow up as musicians and also for young children," Rocio Escobedo said.

"The Music Academy also has a lot of young students who will become future UTB students," she said.

Jimena said her favorite classical music is Mozart's "Magic Flute" opera. She likes everything by the Beatles, but especially "Yesterday."

For now, Jimena is receiving a foundation, and her mother said her studies at Paredes Elementary are helping as well.

"Jimena has gotten a lot of discipline and that counts a lot when you're introducing young children to music," she said.

Guerrero said Jimena is an excellent student who is well liked by her classmates.

"She contributes greatly to all our discussions, she's a good friend to all the children and a good example," Guerrero said. "She's a good person from a good family and a caring person. But she can go out and play tag with the best of them."

Then Guerrero added: "That day she played her violin I just wanted to show her off everywhere.

"She played for the class across the hall, but then she got shy and we had to stop."